Metal railway tie and fastener



y 22, 1934- o. CHAMNESS ET AL 9,8 5

METAL RAILWAY TIE AND FASTENER Filed Dec. 19. 1932 "..'I la mum.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 22, 1934 Oscar L. Chamness, Robert Blaine Alfonte, and TroyI. Philpott, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application December 19, 1932, Serial No. 647,946

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to a railway rail mounting, of metal. I

It is the object of our invention to produce a railway rail mountingwhich is strong, durable,

' f and capable without becoming loose of resisting the stresses imposedon the rails; and withal of simple and inexpensive construction.

The accompanying drawing illustrates our invention: Fig. 1 is a plan ofa metal cross-tie and fastening devices embodying our invention, and

fragments of two track rails mounted thereon; Fig. 2 is an enlargedvertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with the welding filletspartially broken away to show the bridging member more clearly; Fig. 3is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.

2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1, showingthe cross-tie in fragmentary elevation; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionaldetail, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a plan of a modifiedcross-tie, shown without rails mounted on it, which modified form is foruse when it is not necessary that the two rails be electricallyinsulated from each other; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 ofFig. 3, but with the rail and clamping device omitted.

Our railway rail mounting is all of metal, save for the insulatingparts. It involves a cross-tie and'clamping devices for supporting andrigidly holding the usual pair of T-rails thereon, each rail having theusual head 1 or 1, and the usual base flanges 2, with a verticalsupporting web 3 connecting the head and base.

The cross-tie has two end portions 4 and 4, each of which underlies oneof the two rails.

Each end portion is in the form of an upwardly open channel below therail resting thereon and for a considerable distance on each side ofthat rail; and has vertical side walls 6 and '7, and 6 and 7, whichextend the entire length of the tie with or without certain interveninginsulation which will be described later. Desirably the base of thechannel of the cross-tie does not extend the full length thereof, but isbroken away at the middle to provide a gap 5, at which the side wallshave portions 8 and 9, and 8' and 9', which converge toward each otherabout midway of the gap 5. This construction of the gap 5 and convergentside walls co-operates with the ballast to prevent longitudinal shiftingof the cross-tie.

The convergent portions 8 and 8, and 9 and 9, of the side walls of thecross-tie may be continuous and integral, as shown in Fig. 6; and thatis the usual construction when it is not necessary that the two rails beinsulated from each other.

However, if it is desired that the two rails be insulated from eachother, the construction shown in Fig. 1 is used; in which the convergentportions 8 and 9 are not continuous with the convergent portions 8 and9', but are provided with out-turned ears or flanges 10 and 10 betweenwhich a plate of insulation 11 lies, the mating flanges l0 and 10 beingclamped against opposite sides of the insulating plate 11 by bolts 12and 12' surrounded by insulating thimbles 13 having heads 14:.

In each rail-supporting end portion of the cross-tie, a bridge member15, or 15', is mounted in position to underlie the rail. This bridgemember is in the form of a downwardly open channel which nests withinthe upwardly open channel of the cross-tie, and has vertical end platesor walls 16 and 1'7 which lie against the inner faces of the side walls6 and 7, or 6 and 7, of the cross-tie. These end walls 16 and 17 aresecurely and immovably fastened to the side walls 6 and '7, or 6' and 7,of the cross-tie, by being welded thereto by welding fillets 18 and 18at the edges of the walls 16 and 17, as is perhaps most clear from.Figs. 6 and 7. Thus the walls 16 and 17 reinforce and are reinforced bythe walls 6 and, 7, or 6' and 7, against which they lie, to form astrong vertical support directly below the rail; and the bridge membersare eiiectively held against lateral displacement.

The horizontal portion of the bridge member 15 or 15 connects the upperends of the Walls 16 and 17 of that bridge member, and is flush with theupper edges of the walls 6 and 7, or 6 and 7', so that they co-operateto support the superposed rail. The upper edges of the walls 6 and 7, or6' and 7, of the cross-tie are unbroken at the bridge member; for thisgives added strength, and also avoids the pounding which results fromnotches in said upper edges. The horizontal part of the bridge member 15or 15 forms a bridge-plate, which is of substantially the width of thebase of the superposed rail, as is clear from Fig. 3, so that the edgesof such bridgeplate and of the rail-flanges 2 are vertically in line.

The base flanges 2 of the rails are clamped to the bridge-plates l5 and15' by clamping devices of special construction. Each of these clampingdevices comprises two clamping plates 19 and 20. Each clamping plate hasthree main portions. The first or uppermost portion slopes slightly tofit tight over the flange 2 of the rail, to draw it down tight on itsseat on the bridgemember, as is clear from Fig. 3; and at its outer edgeis connected by a vertical part 21 to the second main portion 22. Thesecond portion 22 closely underlies the bridge-plate for a considerabledistance inward from the edges thereof, as is clear from Fig. 3, andjoins the upper end of the third portion 23, which extends downward. Theclamping plates 19 and 20, and especially the second portions 22 thereofwhich closely underlie the bridge-plate, are of sufficient length sothat they extend substantially the full length of the bridge-plate, orsubstantially from the wall 16 to the wall 17; for this effectivelyholds the bridge-plate against distortion. 7

The third portions 23 of the two clamping plates lie fairly closetogether, well inward from the edges of the bridge-plate 15, or 15'; andone or both of them desirably rests on the bottom of the channel of thecross-tie, as is clear from Fig. 3, to form a supplementary support forthe bridge-plate and rail. Near their lower edges, the two thirdportions 23 of the clamping plates engage each other, as along ribs 24formed on their adjacent faces; and these ridges form a fulcrum wellbelow the second portions 22 of the clamping plates.

Above the fulcrum ribs 24, and desirably as close to the second portions22 of the clamping plates as possible while yet leaving room for thesocket wrenches which are most conveniently used for tightening theirnuts, we provide one or more clamping bolts 25 and 25, here shown as woin number, which extend through the two third portions 23 of theclamping plates and serve to draw such third portions together. Be causethe bolts 25 and 25 he close up to the second portions 22, and becausesuch second portions 22 extend well inward from the egdes of thebridge-plate, the stresses imposed on the second portions 22 as theclamping bolts 25 and 25 are tightened are largely tension stresses,created as the upper edges of the third portions 23 are pulled togetherby the clamping bolts 25 and 25.

By having the second portions 22 of the clamping plates substantiallywholly in tension, with little or no flexing stresses thereon,transverse displacement of the rails on the bridge members iseffectively opposed. Since the rails are thus firmly held againstdisplacement on the bridge members, and since the bridge members arefirmly held against movement in the cross-ties, the gauge of the trackis effectively maintained.

We claim as our invention:

1. A railway rail mounting, comprising a metal cross-tie which below therail is in the form of an upwardly open channel, a bridge plate inpermanently fixed relation to the cross-tie and in position to underliethe rail, and a pair of mating clamping plates which clamp to saidbridge plate in a single fixed position the base-flanges of a railresting thereon; each of said clamping plates having three portions, thefirst of which fits over the flange of the rail, the second of whichclosely underlies the bridge-plate for a considerable distance inwardfrom the edge thereof, and the third of which extends downward from thesecond portion at a point well inward from the edge of the bridge-plateto a point which lies well below the second portion and at which itengages the third portion of the companion clamping plate, and one ormore clamping bolts extending through the third portions of the twoclamping plates above said engaging points.

2. A railway rail mounting as set forth in claim 1, with the additionthat the third portion of at least one of said clamping plates extendssubstantially from the bridge-plate to the base of the cross-tie channelto provide a supplementary support for the bridge-plate and the railresting on it.

3. A railway rail mounting as set forth in claim 1, with the additionthat said clamping plates are of sufficient length so that they extendsubstantially the full length of said bridge member and thus reinforceit against distortion.

4. A railway rail mounting, comprising a metal cross-tie which below therail is in the form of an upwardly open channel, a bridge plate inpermanently fixed relation to said cross-tie and in position to underliethe rail, and a pair of mating clamping plates and one or more clampingbolts which clamp to said bridge plate in a single fixed position thebase-flanges of a'rail resting thereon, said clamping plates havingportions which closely underlie the bridge-plate and in which the stressproduced by the clamping bolts is mainly a tension stress.

5. A railway rail mounting, comprising a metal cross-tie having a bridgeplate which is in position to underlie the rail and is of substantiallythe width of the rail, and a clamping device for clamping the base ofthe rail to said bridgeplate, said clamping device consisting of a pairof mating clamping plates and one or more clamping bolts which connectsaid clamping plates, each of said clamping plates including a partoverlying the rail-base and a second part which closely underlies thebridge-plate and has a downturned portion by which it co-operates withthe clamping bolt or bolts, said second parts extending sufficiently farunder the bridge-plate so that the stress put upon them by the clampingbolt or bolts is mainly a tension stress.

6. A railway rail mounting as set forth in claim 5, with the additionthat said clamping plates are of sufficient length so that they extendsubstantially the full length of said bridge member and thus reinforceit against distortion.

OSCAR L. CHAMNESS. ROBERT BLAINE ALFONTE. TROY I. PHILPOTT.

